Latest news with #NECIC
Borneo Post
08-07-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
Sarawak early childhood devt programme to be showcased at 2025 Asean business summit
A teacher supervises a child while he completes his daily 10-minute intervention programme at SeDidik UTC in Kuching. KUCHING (July 9): A Sarawak-based pilot programme for early childhood implemented through the Ministry of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) is set to be presented at the 2025 Asean Business Summit as a potential regional policy model for childhood development and education. Led by the National Early Childhood Intervention Council (NECIC) and Japanese healthcare and education company TOY8, the initiative is a digital screening and intervention model developed in collaboration with University of Malaya, Sunway University, and a team of Japanese clinical psychologists. The model is designed to detect and address developmental delays in key areas such as gross motor skills, fine motor skills, speech and language, cognitive abilities, and social development. SeDidik educators being trained on how the intervention programme works. In 2023, the pilot has screened around 300 preschool children in Sarawak and provided intervention programmes for 10 per cent of children. This year, the programme is set to expand to reach 450 children across Sarawak. Originally, the programme started off at SeDidik preschools which are owned by the Sarawak government under KPWK, but it has since begun spreading to other preschools such as those under the Association of Kindergarten Operators Sarawak (AKO). Developmental gaps closed by an average of 3 months Speaking to The Borneo Post, TOY8 Founder and Co-CEO Shun Matsuzaka shared that the preliminary findings of the pilot programme in Sarawak have been extremely encouraging. 'The results showed that children at the end of the programme saw their cognitive abilities grow by 9.15 months, language skills by 7.13 months, and fine motor skills by 10.60 months. Overall, this is 8.96 months of developmental improvements within the six-month intervention period,' he said. He explained that this meant children who have undergone the programme had their developmental delay gap close by three months. 'This is all from just 10 minutes of intervention a day, and most encouragingly was the improvement in language as we originally thought that it would be very challenging for us to target. 'This is because language is the core of development and if the children are unable to speak they can't really grow their cognitive abilities,' he shared. Proven economic value & efficacy A preliminary cost-benefit analysis conducted by an expert panel of health economists, researchers and pediatric specialists from the Ministry of Health (MoH), NECIC and National Institute of Health (NIH) found that the screening tool alone has a cost-benefit ratio of 1.8. 'This means that if you invest RM1 million into implementing the screening tool, then society will benefit RM1.8 million in the future from increased future lifetime earnings of the children, lower healthcare costs, reduced drop-out rates, and minimised loss of productivity from parents,' Matsuzaka explained. He clarified that the 1.8 cost-benefit ratio was only for the screening tool itself and does not include the intervention programme. While there are no preliminary figures yet for the possible cost-benefit ratio for the intervention programme, Matsuzaka highlighted that other early intervention programmes in the US have shown cost-benefit ratios ranging from 10 to 20 times. Additionally, he shared that there is currently an ongoing research study by the Clinical Research Centre (CRC) to validate the efficacy of the digital screening tool. The study is led by CRC head Dr Toh Teck Hock who is currently also serving as a pediatrician at Sibu's Lau King Howe Memorial Children Clinic in Agape Centre that focuses on special needs children. Endorsement from educators The screening tool and intervention programme has also gotten a vote of confidence from educators, with SeDidik general nanager Ayub Dahari sharing that educators have reported developmental changes in participating children. Ayub Dahari, General Manager, Sedidik Sarawak general manager Ayub Dahari speaks to The Borneo Post. 'When we first started this model, I believed it would help parents of special needs children and the children themselves to be able to better support themselves. 'But with the model in place, we have also found that it is effective in helping us convince parents that their children are in need of help, allowing us to get them the help they need earlier,' he said. He added that that the structured programme has also given his teaching force the confidence to do intervention by themselves and to implement certain aspects into their regular syllabus, further supporting strong development of all their students. Currently, the TOY8 programme is being piloted in around 20 SeDidik centres, but Ayub hopes that by the end of the 13th Malaysia Plan in 2030, they will be able to spread it to the rest of its 107 centres across the state. 'And by then, hopefully other agencies and associations will also be able to take up this initiative for the children of Sarawak.' Regional expansion underway As for Matsuzaka, he is hopeful that the Toy8 programme will be able to spread beyond Sarawak and eventually across Asia. Founder and Co-CEO of TOY8, Shun Matsuzaka. Highlighting the importance of Sarawak as a pioneer for this type early childhood development model, he explained that the selection of Sarawak for the pilot programme is partially due to Sarawak's strong commitment towards inclusive education given our 99 per cent preschool participation rate. He added that Sarawak's example could serve as proof of concept for other Asean nations. 'Most early childhood development models come from rich countries like Scandinavian countries where they have more resources. We want to show it can work here in Asean too.' Based on the success in Sarawak, the programme began rollout in Singapore, Indonesia, and other Asean countries in 2024. TOY8's broader goal is to help build an AI-enabled early childhood development infrastructure that scales across Asia—originating from Malaysia. How does the model work? Under the model, preschoolers aged 3 to 5 will undergo a series of activities that are designed to look like a fun smartphone game, while their parents or caretakers will answer a standardised questionnaire. AI then analyses the results and generates a developmental report, which is shared with teachers and parents. If the child is identified as having mild to moderate delays, a personalised six-month intervention programme is generated. These programmes, available in both Malay and English, are play-based and designed with input from experts within the gaming industry such as former game directors from Nintendo and Capcom. Teachers then implement the activities daily, which take only 10 minutes, and a final progress report is provided at the end of the programme to show insights into the child's growth to support continued development. To reach more rural communities, TOY8 is also working on an offline version using paper-based materials. The initiative is currently supported by several prominent global philanthropic organisations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Hong Leong Foundation, and The Nippon Foundation. It has also received support from the government of Japan.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Looking for local produce and fun this summer? North End Farmers Market is back
The North End Farmers Market will open for the season on June 12. According to an announcement from the North End Community Improvement Collaborative, the market will take place every Thursday through Sept. 25 at the NECIC Urban Farm, 311 Bowman St. in Mansfield. The market will run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. each week, rain or shine. This year, visitors can expect a mix of returning and new vendors offering locally grown produce, homemade goods, handcrafted items, food trucks and family-friendly activities. The North End Farmers Market aims to be accessible and inclusive for residents of all income levels. It accepts various payment methods, including cash, credit and debit cards, SNAP, WIC and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program. For the latest information on accepted programs and matching benefits, contact Tionna Perdue, NECIC operations manager, at 419-522-1611 or tionna@ Those interested in becoming a vendor, food truck or community information table participant can apply online at the NECIC website. This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: North End Farmers Market opens June 12 - here's what's in store
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Join Mansfield's Community Dumpster Day to declutter your home
The North End Community Improvement Collaborative and the Richland County Land Bank will host Community Dumpster Day May 17. According to an announcement, the event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the NECIC Community Outreach Center, located at 486 Springmill St. in Mansfield. The initiative provides residents of Mansfield and Richland County a chance to dispose of household junk and unwanted debris responsibly. The event is open to all community members. While attendance is free, monetary donations will be accepted to support NECIC's mission. Prohibited items include tires, batteries, chemicals, explosive or flammable materials, large appliances, metal, liquid/liquid waste, drums and tanks. Residents with questions about acceptable items can contact NECIC at 419-522-1611. This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: NECIC, Land Bank hosting Community Dumpster Day May 17
